We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Krush Audio. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Krush below.
Hi Krush, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
It’s something every creative pursues. After graduating college and receiving my Masters, the idea of making a living solely from my Artistic endeavors seemed next to impossible. I realized real quick that IF I wanted that to be my reality, it was going to require an enormous amount of hustle on my part. That’s exactly what I did.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I began my music career as a Saxophone player in the 5th grade. The first live experience I had was with my cousin Jimmy Petroff (cousin, mentor, guitar virtuoso , Berklee Grad) and my father. We went to a Jazz club in Pittsburgh and saw a band named Spyro Gyra. We sat about 10 feet away from the band and I was hooked. My career as a young musician included many highlights such as: *District, Regional and All State Jazz Ensembles
*Scholarship to Kent St University
*performed w Jazz greats like Harry Connick Jr, Grover Washington Jr, Fifth Dimension and more
*Toured with Willy Chirino (Cuban Recording Artist)
My career took a turn in 1996 when I was diagnosed with Focal Dystonia and learned I would never be able to perform again. At that point, I had to make a decision. I was either leaving music entirely or find something that could satisfy my creative skills.
I began getting very interested in audio recording and production. Sold all of my saxophones and invested in recording equipment. Spent the next several years producing, recording and mixing projects for Artists/bands.
In 2016, I reconnected with a close friend from my hometown only to realize he had become a hit songwriter and Grammy Award winning Producer/Engineer. That person was Joe West and that conversation changed my life. Over the next year, I spent every minute I had in the woodshed working on my craft. Although I was still in Pittsburgh, Joe was consistently checking in and evaluating the work I did. He was in Nashville and encouraged me to get down there and that’s exactly what I did and it was the best move of my life.
Since then, I moved to Nashville, began working on projects at Joes spot (The West Barn) and my pursuit of greatness was on!
In 2017-2018, I worked on a project that garnered a Grammy Nomination for recording and production.
My true passion was always groove based music (Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, Gospel) and I served as Ambassador for Hip Hop for Beatstars in Nashville.
I’ve worked with creatives that have 100’s of hit records under the belt developing talent and creating.
Krush Audio is now full service recording experience. Because of my unique experience and talents, I’ve met some amazing talent and continue to promote all genres of music.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, it’s seeing an Artist’s eyes light up when they hear what they recorded and how it sounds. I believe the interaction and the special relationships that are created thru the common interest of music are very rewarding as well. Those are great byproducts of being a creative but the interaction between creatives and creating something that’s bigger than any 1 person is special. That respect that’s shared between creatives is magic and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
We are dreamers. Creatives tend to see the world in a different way. We use our experiences (good or bad) to influence our art. Being vulnerable is a must. Learning to take criticism is tough for us because we pour our heart and soul into our art. One of the most important things I’ve learned is we don’t feel whole unless we are involved in the creative process. We don’t do it for the money. We do what we do because we truly believe it’s our calling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.krushaudio.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krushaudio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krushdiditonline
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/krushaudio